With China rapidly increasing its production and consumption of blueberries, BBC Technologies is ramping up its presence in the People’s Republic.

The New Zealand-based advanced processing equipment specialist will showcase its range of innovations at the 2015 China International Blueberry Congress in Qingdao this week.

The event will provide an opportunity for BBC Technologies to present the advantages of its CURO-16 Filling System to the Chinese market. The new filling system, which has attracted keen interest at events in the US and Europe, is capable of consistently packing up to 240 clamshells per minute, without compromising on quality.

Along with the chance to highlight the benefits of the CURO-16, BBC will also use the event to expand on its Chinese growth strategy.

“China’s blueberry industry is growing at a phenomenal rate with concurrent expansion in demand for technology that can help China achieve its goal of having a modern, high-value sector that is focused on demonstrating the health benefits of blueberries,” said Geoff Furniss, CEO of BBC Technologies.

The company has been selling blueberry sorting machines in China for several years with sales growth building on the back of the company’s experience and heritage. “In China, the fact that we are a family-owned business and have been in the blueberry industry for more than 30 years, gives us credibility,” added Furniss.

Such is the promise of the Chinese market, BBC Technologies is now preparing to open an office in the Asian nation, with the company set to investigate the advantages of locating this facility in Qingdao during the International Blueberry Congress.

“Blueberries are being grown all over China but Qingdao is a hub for the produce and also offers excellent connections and links to other parts of the country,” said Furniss. “The growing health consciousness of Chinese consumers, coupled with increasing disposable income, leaves us in no doubt that consumption of blueberries will continue to increase. As that happens, BBC Technologies is ideally placed to support growth with our technology.”

Brand-building via e-commerce, reaching out to new consumers in tier-two and -three cities, and managing future market growth projections in China were some of the hot topics discussed at Asiafruit Market Insight

The Indian business continues to defy the odds, registering sharp growth amid major hurdles. But with the right approaches, it can become so much bigger, heard delegates to last week’s Fresh Produce India